It is funny that anytime the governorship election beckons in Anambra State, the mantra of zoning is chanted by politicians, especially, those in the ruling and destructive All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). It has become more of a blackmail and subterfuge used to fool the voters.
When the government of Mr. Peter Obi was winding down, the shout of zoning resonated in Anambra State. The former governor promised to support Anambra North to produce his succesor since it was the only senatorial district in the state that had not produced the governor at that time.
Obi, who is from Anambra Central, supported Chief Willie Obiano to clinch the ticket of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and eventually became governor. Obiano occupied the office of governor for eight years, from 2014-2022.
The governorship election of 2021 saw Obiano fulfilling his promise to work for the emergence of Prof Chukwuma Soludo from Anambra South as his success. He had struck a deal with Soludo for support in 2017, when he sought re-election, in order to, in return, support the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to become governor in 2022.
Governor Soludo alluded to this in his inaugural speech on March 17, 2022, when he said: “Let me particularly thank my friend and outgoing governor of Anambra, H/E (Sir) Willie Maduaburochukwu Obiano, for being an honourable gentleman and leader. On Sunday, 20th November 2016, I accepted your proposal for gentlemen’s understanding and partnership. I kept my part in 2017 and even after five years, you still kept yours in 2021.”
Therefore, beyond the purported zoning of the office of governor to Anambra South by APGA, it was clear that zoning was only a deceit by the APGA government of Obiano to install Soludo as governor. The implication of this was that even within APGA, zoning was long abandoned just so as to use the governor’s office to settle personal friendship agreements irrespective of the capacity and competence of the selected.
A further implication of this is that the 112,229 votes with which Soludo was declared winner of the election in November 2021, did not represent the voting will of the people of Anambra, but the will of Obiano and his minions in honouring a deal with Soludo. However, assuming, but not conceding, that zoning of the office of governor is a state policy in Anambra, under which each senatorial district of the state was entitled to eight years in office, Soludo’s first tenure, which ends on March 16, 2026, would have, logically and effectively ended the second term for Anambra south senatorial district and thus, flings open the door for every zone to contest and to begin the rotation plan afresh.
Let us look at it this way: Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju from Anambra South held the office of governor from 1999 to 2003 before he was defeated in an election by Dr Chris Ngige from Anambra Central. Ngige’s time in office was invalidated by the court thus making only the eight years of Peter Obi to be logically recorded as validly taking the slot for Anambra Central district. Obiano, who served two terms, was from Anambra North. Therefore, between Mbadinuju and Soludo, Anambra South has had its two terms of office as governor, while Obi and Obiano completed the cycle for Anambra Central and Anambra North.
Logically, therefore, the November 2025 election would be the beginning of a new round of rotation which would begin with the zone that is declared the winner in an expected free and fair election.
However, it must be stated that with Soludo completing his tenure next year, Anambra South has ruled the state more than any other senatorial zone. The late Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife who was elected governor during the General Ibrahim Babangida transition programme, was from Anambra South. He was in office for close to two years. When this is added to Mbadinuju’s four years and Soludo’s four years, by next year, Anambra South would have ruled for 10 years.
One thing that is clear, however, is that Anambra has never adopted zoning as a state policy. At every election, candidates from all the senatorial districts had always contested. The other political parties had always picked their candidates from any zone of their choice.
In 2003, when the PDP denied Mbadinuju a re-election ticket, it did not pick someone from Anambra South as his replacement. Rather, the party picked Dr. Ngige from Anambra Central. APGA also picked Obi from Anambra Central, same for the Progressives Peoples Alliance (PPA) with Uche Ekwunife. If there was zoning, the other political parties would have been made to pick their choice to replace Mbadinuju from Anambra South. The election of Ngige from that exercise was invalidated by the court, for Obi to be governor. Invalidate meant the it was not legally recognised and therefore, cannot be counted.
In 2010 when Obi sought re-election, he contested against candidates from other zones. Such candidates as Ngige of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) (Central), and Soludo (South) contested against Obi. Also in 2013 when APGA fielded Obiano (North), other zones fielded candidates too. Tony Nwoye of the PDP (North) and Andy Ubah of ACN (South) were candidates. In 2017, when Obiano (APGA) sought re-election, other zones also fielded candidates. The APC had Nwoye (North) as candidate, while PDP fielded Oseloke Obaze (Central).
From the above, it is clear that there is no zoning in Anambra State. What is rather in existence is rotation, as power moves among the senatorial districts. What is obvious is that zoning elevates incompetence. Zoning restricts leadership options to certain geographical locations and thus limits the talent pool as it eliminates the best candidates. It also can create and perpetuate division among the people because of its capacity to enthrone leaders who will prioritize the interest of their zones against the overall interest of the state, which could increase political tension and eventually lead to social unrest and conflict.
When zoning is used as a tool for political domination, as APGA has done over the years, it begins to create a sense of entitlement and a feeling of exclusion in the minds of those who have been shut out. Therefore, zoning is discriminative and stifles competition which leads to a lack of innovation and progressive leadership.
It is clear that the Anambra people no longer want a ride in zoning conundrum. They want competence and free expression through their votes to choose a leader who will change the narrative in the state. The people will walk down the electoral aisle to elect their governor for the 2026-2030 leadership cycle with this mind.
The next election is an opportunity for them to critically review APGA’s zoning fraud, which has become a self-destructive mantra, against the desire for a competent leader who has the character, competence and capacity to lead Anambra towards a new direction. It is apparent that the expiry date of APGA deceit with zoning is 2025 and Anambra people are ready to put an end to it.
• Uchegbu, a public affairs analyst, writes from Akwa, Anambra State.